The Firefly Girl
by Youkai Maiden
Summary: Set during Sesshomaru's teenageish years. Sesshomaru vowed to never love a human, but when he skips out on a meeting and goes to his hideout, he meets with a girl who just might change his mind. SessRin
1. The Vow

Heya, everyone! This is my first try at a Sess/Rin fic, so I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Inuyasha.

**Please note that this story is set before Inuyasha is born. So, in this fic Sesshomaru looks the same, but he's still not an "adult" by demon standards.**

……………….

"So, cousin, when will you be settling down?"

It was a question that Sesshomaru despised. He was still a dozen years shy of being a marriageable age, and yet his grown cousins were always pestering him about finding a mate. Each time one of them would mention it, he would always reply, "Such a union is of no use to me."

Today, like so many other days, that answer wasn't enough for his kinsman, and the older dog demon barked, "Don't be so cold, Sessho! One 'a these days you'll find a sweet little human girl, you just watch!"

As if on cue, another young man added, "Yeah, yeah, she'll swoon over him like crazy."

Clutching Sesshomaru's arm, a she-demon, a friend of his, teased, "Oh, Sesshomaru-sama! You're so brave! You're so strong!"

Laughing, the first man borught his voice to a mock-womanly pitch and cried, "Oh, Sesshomaru-sama! You simply must show me how you do your hair, milord! You're so beautiful!"

Sesshomaru's kin all fell into fits of laughter, clapping their hands upon his shoulders and pinching his cheeks, tugging a his mouth into an toothy smile. Soon, one-by-one, his cousins went about their business and left Sesshomaru to his. Each man ruffled the younger demon's hair as they moved away from him, and the woman hugged his waist, still giggling from the previous commotion.

Once he was alone again, Sesshomaru rubbed his cheeks, as if to wipe away the slight soreness from being pinched, and he grinned slightly.

"Idiots…" he muttered. Idiots though they may have been, they were still his kin. There would always be a closeness between them all, even if they did annoy the younger demon to no end.

_I will never waste my time loving a human_, Sesshomaru assured himself, despite his cousins' teasing.

It was true that most of his kin had taken human mates, instead of demons, mostly because his father Inutaisho had always taught his family to be openly friendly with humans, but Sesshomaru had vowed to never follow those footsteps. Even if he did find a mate, she would be a demon. Not a half-demon. Not a human.

_Never in a thousand years._

…………………

Sesshomaru hated formal meetings.

Get-togethers with allies, peace treaty signings with other lands, whatever the occasion, he hated it. His youth, his energy, all but destroyed his ability to sit still during such meetings. Because of that, thankfully, he was permitted by his father to take walks when these business decisions were being arranged.

On one such day in late October, an Kitsune clan from the Southern lands ventured into the Western territory. They were at war and needed assistance wherever it could be given. Uncaring in the matter, Sesshomaru dismissed himself from the meeting room and wandered into the woods outside his family's palace. His routine had begun; he was headed for his hideout, a shady marsh he and his cousins had played in when they were all just pups.

The pathway to the hideaway was well-worn, though in recent years only Sesshomaru ever visited the marsh, but was surrounded on both sides by thick shrubbery that hid it from the view of anyone who didn't already know it was there. The young lord tended to the plants around the path himself, making sure that no one else would find his hideout. He went there to take naps or collect his thoughts, and he didn't need any distractions while he was away.

Today, his time would be filled with reading. In his clawed hands, he clutched a crisp, new novel written by a human in a nearby village. The book had been given to him by a girl in his clan, a cousin who acted more like a sister, and leaving the book unread would upset her. So, Sesshomaru would read it. He didn't really have anything better to do anyway.

Still, though his plan was to scan through the book, Sesshomaru would soon discover that not all plans follow the path intended. The moment he entered his marsh, a soft ring of a tune washed around his ears and a human girl came into view. Sesshomaru gripped the book tighter, his claws digging into its cover.

She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

…………………..

Reviews would be lurvely plzthx .


	2. Rin

Yay! Thanks for the reviews! Here's the next chappie!

…………………..

She was the most beautiful thing Sesshomaru had ever seen. He guessed her to be fifteen or sixteen years of age. Her ebony hair fell like silk all the way to her waist and was cut around the smooth curve of her face so that it formed wispy curtains around her pink cheeks. A worn, orange kimono with yellow flowers dappling the sleeves hugged the curves of her breasts and hips. Her warm, brown eyes gleamed as she belted out her song, though she had no audience (that she currently knew of) other than nature itself.

Sesshomaru paused a moment, taking in the velvety song lyrics as they flooded past her full rosebud lips. Her scent also halted him. It was a strange mixture of lilies and some kind of herb. Sesshomaru couldn't quite recall the name of the plant, but it was an herb his family's healer used to mend cuts and soothe bruises. Nevertheless the herbal scent that wafted from the girl was nearly overpowered by the lily perfume, almost as though she was trying to cover up the medicinal smell.

Before he had time to ponder further in the matter, Sesshomaru shifted his weight and mistakenly stepped on a twig. Startled, the girl spun around to face him, clutching the front of her orange and yellow kimono defensively. Upon seeing Sesshomaru, she became slightly less tense.

Before she could speak, Sesshomaru barked, "Who are you?"

Tensing again, she held the flaps of her kimono shut tightly and replied, "I am called Rin."

"There's no need to panic, girl," Sesshomaru said firmly, noticing the way she gripped her clothing, as though he was moments away from tearing it away from her. "I have no vulgar intentions for a human such as you."

"How can I know that?" Rin hissed. "If humans are vile enough to seek me out, why should a demon be any different?"

Huffing, the young lord growled, "Is that why you have come into my territory? To escape human men?"

She avoided the question, unsure how to respond to the angry gleam in his golden eyes. "Territory? You must be a dog."

Though she had meant no harm by the comment, Sesshomaru snarled, a new wave of anger dancing across his eyes. "Human wretch! I, Sesshomaru, will not be insulted by the likes of you!"

"What? No! I meant dog as in dog demon!" Rin cried, falling to her knees in a deep bow. "Please forgive me, I didn't mean it as an insult."

A sniffle invaded Sesshomaru's sharp ears, and when Rin peeked up at him, small tears dripped down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry I'm in your territory, milord," she said, trying to sound respectful. "As you suggested, I was running from a group of men who live in my village."

For reasons he couldn't quite understand, that statement, combined with Rin's tears, infuriated Sesshomaru. Seeing the stunning young woman brought to tears over such a thing made him want to murder the men responsible.

Rin lowered her head again and cried, "But a demon of your stature surely doesn't care why I'm here."

"My stature?" Sesshomaru asked.

"You're a lord, aren't you?" Rin retorted, her head still turned to the ground. "The quality of your clothing is too good for you not to be."

Scoffing, Sesshomaru said, "Every member of my clan dresses this way, but I am a lord."

He pitied her. Here she was, on her knees apologizing and crying as though she had done something truly wrong to him, when she had only ended up in his territory by mistake. She would have been attacked, perhaps violated, had she not escaped. In fact, maybe she already had been. That would explain the strangeness of her scent, the mixture of medicine and lilies.

Sesshomaru truly pitied Rin. More than that, he wanted to protect her, though he still didn't understand why. Before he even realized what he was doing, he was gently lifting her from the ground into his arms. Broken and trembling, she pressed into the crook of his neck and wept against the satiny smoothness of his skin. Her delicate hands clutched the fabric of his kimono tightly.

"Hush," Sesshomaru soothed, drowning in the scent of her hair, her tears, and something else… blood. She _was_ injured. Why hadn't he noticed before? "I'll take you to our healer. You can rest until you feel better."

"W-what?" Rin whispered. "Why are you doing this? Why now?"

Sesshomaru ignored her and began the trek back to the palace.

"Can I at least know your name?" Rin asked.

He gazed down at her and golden orbs clashed with sparkling brown. "I am Sesshomaru."

…………….

So? How was it?


	3. The Family

"Wow…" Rin gasped as the dog clan's palace came into view. At the edge of the forest, there was a dirt trail that connected with a cobblestone road that curved like a maze throughout the grounds around the palace. Sesshomaru's feet thudded softly against the rocky road, then began to clunk loudly as he crossed a bridge that arched over a large stream. Within moments, he had entered into the palace grounds, thudding again on the cobblestone as he headed toward his clan's healer.

"Milord, you are the head of the dog clan, are you not?" Rin asked.

"I am more of a second-in-command," Sesshomaru replied. "My father is the head."

"Your father must be quite a demon."

"He is," the young lord said. "Certainly even you have heard of Lord Inutaisho."

The girl gasped, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. "Lord Inutaisho?! He is your father?!"

"Indeed."

Everyone in the Western lands, human and demon alike, knew of Inutaisho, the Great Dog Lord. It was rumored that in his true form he was taller than Mount Fuji and that in his humanoid guise he was equally as fearsome. Though the humans in his lands knew of his kindness, they all still feared him, feared his power.

Rin gulped. If she stayed in the palace for very long, she would undoubtedly cross paths with the Dog Lord. A stream of fear jolted down her spine, and she wondered when she would be able to leave.

She glanced up at Sesshomaru and another emotion washed over her, one she couldn't quite recognize. Truly, she just feared meeting the legendary Inutaisho. She didn't actually want to leave. More precisely, she didn't want to leave Sesshomaru. The young lord had showed her a great deal of kindness by bringing her to a healer.

Examining him closer, she took note that he was quite beautiful for a man. Unconsciously, she traced the magenta stripes on his cheeks with her fingers, and he flushed slightly.

"What is it?" Sesshomaru blurted.

Rin jerked her hand back, realizing her actions and stammered, "I, uh, though it was makeup."

"No," the lord stated simply.

Rin began to speak again, but was cut off by a rather loud catcall. Sesshomaru turned toward the sound, coming face-to-face with one of his cousins who had teased him earlier that day.

"What's this, Sessho?" the older dog teased, fluffing his curly silver hair. He looked as though he had just woken up from a nap. "Finally found a sweet little human to call your own?"

"Toji," Sesshomaru warned, "I'm in no mood for you."

"Nah, she's more your type, right?" the other man, Toji, said with a large grin.

"Go to hell."

"My, you're testy today, runt."

"Then leave me alone!"

All the while, Rin was shooting glances from Sesshomaru to Toji back to Sesshomaru again as they continued to taunt each other in such an informal manner. She really didn't know what to make of it. The cool, stern young lord who she met only moments before had morphed into a regular young demon.

Before long, another demon walked up to the group, a she-demon with long, light-blue hair. She too had spoken with Sesshomaru earlier that day. Upon spotting Rin, she cheered, "Yay! Our baby boy's gonna be a man tonight!"

"What?!" Sesshomaru sputtered. "I… I am not!!" After a moment he added, "And who says I'm not already?!"

"Oh, please!" the she-dog replied. "You wouldn't let a woman touch you with a ten foot pole. It's kinda obvious."

"S-Shut up, Eclispe!" Sesshomaru exclaimed.

Rin, who had been holding in laughter, suddenly exploded into a fit of giggles. She liked Sesshomaru and his family more and more every minute. They acted almost like Rin's friends from her village.

The demon woman, Eclipse, smiled at Rin. "Be careful with Sessho. He bruises like a spring peach."

Rin laughed even harder and Sesshomaru yelled, "I do not!"

His demonkin were laughing with Rin as Sesshomaru stomped away, gripping Rin tightly to his chest. "I'm taking her to the healer. Don't you dare breathe a word of this to father!"

As the young lord stormed off with Rin, Toji said, "Aw, his daddy'll be so proud!"

"He's out of his meeting now, isn't he?" Eclipse asked innocently.

Toji grinned, "Oh yeah…"

Both demons were smirking as they began a search for Inutaisho.

……………….

"So," Rin giggled, "you bruise like a peach?"

"No. I. Don't," Sesshomaru growled, emphasizing each word. "Those were my cousins."

"It's good that you have relatives like them."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is. Being a lord is a lot of responsibility, but you're able to cut loose with your family," Rin said.

"They're annoying," the young lord snarled. "They're always badgering me to… what?"

Rin was laughing.

"What?" Sesshomaru asked again.

"You… you said badger…" she stuttered, pealing into a fit of laughs.

"You need the healer immediately. You must've hit your head."

………………..

That's all for now. Reviews, please?


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